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PERSONAL NARRATIVES 



OF THE 



T 



Battles of the Rebellion 

No. 2. 



'PHE KHODE ISLAN"D AETILLEJBY 



FIRST BATTLE OF BULL RUN. 



BY 



J. ALBERT MONROE. 



«« 



PERSOlSrAL IvTAERATITES 



Battles of the Rebellio^st, 



PAPERS READ BEFORE THE 



KHODE ISLAND SOLDIERS AMD SAILORS 



HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



No. 2. 



" Quaeque ipse miserrima vidi, 
Et quorum pars magna fui." 



PROVIDENCE: 

SIDNEY S. RIDER 

1878. 



Copja-ight by 
SIDNEY S. RI DE It. 

1878. 



PRINTED BY PROVIDENCE PRESS COMPANY. 



THE RHODE ISLAND ARTILLERY 



First Battle of Bull Ru^. 



J. ALBERT MONROE, 

(Late Licuteuant-Colouul First Khode Islaud Light Artillery.) 



PROVIDENCE : 
SIDNEY S. RIDKR 

1878. 







Copyright by 
SIDNEY S. RIDE 11. 

1878. 



THE RHODE ISLAND ARTILLERY 



FIRST BATTLE OF BULL RUN 



When the first call for troops,- to serve for the 
term of three months, was made by President Lin- 
coln, in 1861, for the purpose of suppressing the 
rebellion, which had assumed most dangerous pro- 
portions to the National Government, the Marine 
Artillery, of this city, responded cheerfully to the 
call, and under the command of Captain Charles H. 
Tompkins, left Providence, April eighteenth, for the 
seat of war. 

The senior officer of the company, who remained 
at home, was Captain William H. Parkhurst, then 
bock-keeper at the Mechanics Bank on South Main 
Street. Before the company was ftiirly away, I 
called upon him and suggested the propriety of call- 



6 THE RHODE ISLAND ARTILLERY AT 

iug a meeting to organize a new company to take 
the place of the one that had gone. The suggestion 
met his views, and he at once published a notice that 
a meeting for the purpose would be held that eve- 
ning at the armory of the Marines, on Benefit Street. 
The meeting was largely attended, and comprised 
among its numbers a great many of our most intel- 
ligent and influential citizens. A large number of 
names were enrolled that night as members of the 
new company, and arrangements Avere made to have 
the armory open daily, for the purpose of obtaining 
additional signatures to the roll of membership. In 
a few days some three hundred names were obtained, 
and every man whose name was enrolled seemed 
to take the greatest interest in having the work 
proceed. 

By general consent, rather than by appointment 
or election, I assumed the duty of conducting the 
drills and of reducing matters to a system. It w^as 
supposed at the time that the force already called 
into the field, consisting of seventy-five thousand 
men, would be amply sufficient to eftectually quell 
the disturbance that had arisen at the South, but 



THE FIRST BATTLE OF BULL RUN. 7 

there appeared to be in the minds of all the men 
who gathered at the Marines' Armory, a quiet deter- 
mination to go to the assistance of those who had 
already gone, should they appear to need aid. The 
call for men to serve for the period of three years 
put a new phase upon matters. Those whose pri- 
vate business was of such importance that absence 
from home that length of time would injure the 
interests of others as well as their own, Avithdrew, 
leavino; more than a sufficient number to man a full 
battery. From that time drilling of the men pro- 
ceeded uninterruptedly both day and night. A 
greater number than the capacity of the armory 
would admit of drilling at one time, presented them- 
selves daily. Many of the evenings were spent in 
taking the men out on the streets and to vacant lots 
near by, exercising them in marching drill. Through 
the influence of Governor Sprague the company was 
furnished with a complete battery of twelve pounder 
James guns, which arrived here some time in May, I 
think, and then the drills became spirited in exer- 
cise in the manual of the piece, mechanical maneu- 
vres, as well as in marching. 



O THE RHODE ISLAND ARTILLERY AT 

About the first of June Lieutenant William H. 
Eeynolds and First Sergeant Thomas F. Vaughn of 
the three months battery, Avere apjjointed Captain 
and First Lieutenant respectively, and J. Albert 
Monroe, John A. Tompkins and William B. Weeden 
were appointed Second, Third and Fourth Lieuten- 
ants, and they were so commissioned. The com- 
missions should have been one captain, two first 
lieutenants and two second lieutenants, but there 
Avas so little knowledge of just the right Avay to do 
things at that time, that this error occurred, and it 
Avas not until after the First Battle of Bull Run that 
it Avas corrected. 

On the sixth of June, 1861, the company was 
mustered into the United States service by Colonel 
S. Loomis of the United States Army, for the period 
of " three years unless sooner discharged," in a large 
room of a building on Eddy^ street. 

On the eighth of June, the regular business of sol- 
dier's life began by the company going into camp on 
Dexter Training Ground. The time was occupied in 
detachment and liattery drills until the nineteenth of 
the month, Avheu the guns, carriages, and the horses 



THE FIRST BATTLE OF BULL RUN. \) 

also, if my memory serves me, were embarked ou the 
steamer Kill-von-Kull, at the Fox Point wharf. The 
steamer landed at Elizabethport, New Jersey, where 
the battery and men were transferred to cars. The 
train left Elizabethport about four o'clock in the 
afternoon. The journey to Washington was a most 
tedious one. Harrisburg was not reached until the 
next morning, and it was not until the following 
morning that the train arrived in Washington. 

Although the journey was a long one, and tire- 
some, many incidents transpired to relieve the tedium 
of the trip. At Baltimore, which was passed through 
in the evening, every man was on the qui vive, with 
nerves strung to the tension, so great was the fear 
that an attack might be made upon us. Every one 
who had a revolver carried it cocked. A corporal, 
who is now a commissioned officer in the regular 
army, remarked to me that he never was in such 
danger in his life, though nothing had occurred to 
awaken a sense of danger, except that a small pebble 
■ was thrown, probably by some boys, that hit one of 
the gun carriages on the Hat car, upon which he and 
I were riding. The next day rebel flags, in imagina- 



10 THE RHODE ISLAND ARTILLERY AT 

tioii, were frequent!}^ discovered while piissiug 
through Maryland. 

On our arrival at Washington, the morning of 
the twenty-second, we were cordially greeted by 
Captain Tompkins of the three months battery, and 
he and his men lent us every assistance in their 
power. The company went into camp in Gale's 
woods, with the Second Regiment Rhode Island 
Infantry, and adjoining were the camps of the three 
months organizations — the First Regiment Rhode 
Island Detached Militia and the First Battery. The 
ground occupied by the three months men was 
already known as " Camp Sprague ; " the ground 
occupied by the Second Battery and the Second 
Regiment was named " Camp Clark," in honor of 
Bishop Thomas M. Clark, who had taken a great 
interest in the raising and the organization of troops 
in Rhode Island. 

Affairs went along more smoothly than could rea- 
sonably have been expected from men just taken 
from the pursuits of civil life. Captain Rejaiolds, 
with rare tact, won the confidence of all his men and 
oflicers. Section and battery drills took place daily, 



THE FIRST BATTLE OF BULL RUN. 11 

in the morning, and the afternoons were generally 
spent at standing gun drill. 

On the ninth of July, while at section drill, a 
sad accident occurred, by which Corporal Morse 
(Nathan T.) and private Bourne (William E.) lost 
their lives, and private Freeman (Edward R.) was 
very seriously injured. From some unaccountable 
cause the limber chest upon which they were 
mounted exploded, almost instantly killing Morse 
and Bourne and severely injuring Freeman. The 
remains of Morse and Bourne were escorted to the 
depot by the company, and there was extended to 
them a marked tribute of respect upon their arrival 
and l)urial at home. 

On the sixteenth of July the battery left Camp 
Clark at half past one o'clock in the morning, with 
the First and Second Rhode Island Regiments, but 
it was broad daylight before the command got fairlj^ 
away from the vicinity of the camp. Under the lead 
of Colonel Ambrose E. Burnside, who had command 
of the Second New Hampshire, Seventy-iirst New 
York, First and Second Rhode Island Regiments and 
the battery, as a brigade, the company marched over 



12 THE RHODE ISLAND ARTILLERY AT 

Long Bridge to a jDoint about ten miles from Wash- 
ington, where the whole brigade bivouacked for the 
night. The next morning the march was resumed 
at day-break, and Fairfax Court House was reached 
about half past one in the afternoon. The battery 
was parked and the company Avent into camp near 
the Court House, on the ground and near the resi- 
dence of a Mr. Stephenson, an English gentleman 
with a large and interesting family, every member of 
which appeared to do their utmost to promote our 
comfort. Early the next morning, Thursday the 
eighteenth, the advance again began and continued 
with numerous delays until near night-fall, when 
camp was established near Centreville, on the plan- 
tation of a Mr. Utteback. 

On the morning of Sunday the twenty-first the 
brigade broke camp and commenced the march 
towards Manassas. The march was a tedious and 
lonely one until daybreak. The morning broke as 
clear and lovely as any that ever opened upon Vir- 
ginia soil. In the early daylight it seemed to dawn 
upon the minds of both oiBcers and men, that they 
were there for a fixed purpose, and that the actual 



THE FIRST BATTLE OF BULL RUN. 13 

business of their vocation was to commence. Pre- 
viously, nearly all had thought that upon the 
approach of the United States troops, with their 
splendid equipment and the vast resources behind 
them, the "rebel mob," as it was deemed, but 
which Ave afterwards learned to respect as the 
rebel forces, would flee from their position and 
disperse. 

General Hunter's column, to which Colonel Burn- 
side's brigade was attached, was the right of the 
advancing line, and soon after sunrise the report of 
heavy guns to the left told us that the work of the day 
had commenced. Steadily, however, the column 
pushed on, but with frequent halts, until Sudley 
Church w^as reached, where a short stop was made in 
the shade of the thick foliage of the trees in the vicin- 
ity of the church. The battery was following the 
Second Rhode Island, a portion of w'hich were 
deployed as skirmishers, and contrary to the custom 
of throwing them, the skirmishers, well in advance, 
they moved directly on the flanks of the column. 
Suddenly the outposts of the enemy opened fire, which, 
to our inexperienced ears, sounded like the explosion 

2 



14 THE KHODE ISLAND ARTILLEKY AT 

of several bunches of tire crackers. Immediately 
after came the order. " Forward tour Battery I " 
Although the order was distinctly heard by both 
officers and men of the battery, I have never believed 
that it was detinitely known whether it was given by 
General McDowell or General Hunter. With most 
commendable promptness, but without that caution 
which a battery commander learns to observe only 
by experience. Captain Re\Tiolds rushed his battery 
forward at once at a sharp gallop. The road at this 
point was skirted by woods, but a short distance 
beyond, the battery emerged upon an open tield, and 
at once went into position and opened lire. 

The battery was now considerably in advance of 
the infontry and could easily have been captured 
and taken from the field by the enemy, before the 
supporting infantry were formed in line of battle ; 
and tw-o years later under the same circumstances, 
the entire battery would have been lost ; but neither 
side hardly understood the rudimeuts of the art of 
war. "When we reached the open field the air seemed 
to be filled with myriads of serpents, such was the 
sound of the bullets passing through it. Above us 






I dim^ Onk & ^ famr 

.r kesd so ~§ m 



- was tfae wii 



the re- ,1 






16 THE RHODE ISLAND ARTILLERY AT 

sacrificed the impulses of bis nature and stuck to his 
command to look out for the interests of all. 

A great many amusing incidents occurred during 
the first hour of the action, that, undoubtedly, have 
aftbrded many hours of enjoyment to the partakers. 
Two of the corporals seemed to find great relief 
in getting behind a limber- chest with its cover 
opened, though they pluckily performed their duties, 
and I confess that I experienced a similar relief myself 
when I was obliged to go there once or twice to 
examine the ammunition, though I fully realized that 
it was like a quail running his head into a snowbank 
to escape the hunter. 

The firing was exceedingly rapid, every one 
appearing to feel that the great object was to make 
as much noise as possible, and get an immense quan- 
tity of iron into the enemy's line in the shortest 
possible space of time, without regard to whether it 
hit anything or not. The firing was principally 
directed towards the smoke of a rebel battery, 
posted near what is shown as the "Henry House" 
on the map accompanying General McDowell's re- 
port of the action, but was really the "Lewis House," 



THE FIRST BATTLE OF BULL RUN. 17 

which house served as the headquarters of General 
Beauregard. But very little attention was paid to the 
effect of the shot for some time. Considerable of the 
fire was directed into a clump of woods in our imme- 
diate front, in which was quite a force of rebel infan- 
try, and I have reason to believe that this fire was 
very effective; for, upon visiting the spot during 
the action of the Second Bull Run I found the trees 
thickly scarred at the height where the shot would 
be likely to do the most execution. 

We had with us a young man, who was hardly 
more than a mere boy, by the name of Henry H. 
Stewart, who had been taken out from here by Cap- 
tain Reynolds to act as an orderly and guidon, who, 
while nearly every one else was excited and every- 
thing was in confusion, preserved, apparently, the 
utmost coolness, moving from point to point as 
calmly as if performing the ordinary duties of 
parade, and it was not until I ordered him so to do 
that he dismounted from his horse. But the coolest 
one of our number, and, I believe, the coolest man 
on the field that day, was Sergeant G. Lyman 
Dwifht. When the storm of bullets was thickest 



18 THE RHODE ISLAND ARTILLERY AT 

and the rebel artillery was delivering upon us its 
heaviest fire, Dwight would step aside from the 
smoke from his gun, and seemed perfectly absorbed 
by the sublime and magnificent spectacle. Once or 
twice he called my attention to the glorious scene, 
but I was too much engaged and my mind was too 
much occupied in thinking how we were to get out 
of the " glorious scene " to take much pleasure in 
the observance of it. Dwight was associated with 
me, more or less, during the whole war, and I found 
in his character more admirable qualities than I ever 
found possessed by any other man, and the objec- 
tionable qualities of his nature I could never dis- 
cover. War had no terrors for him, and his aesthetic 
taste found beauties to admire even under the most 
adverse circumstances. When the leaden rain and 
iron hail were thickest, I have known him to muse 
upon philosophy, and to repeat a quotation from 
some favorite author applicable to the situation and 
circumstances. He was quick and unerring, and no 
emergency could arise that would deprive him of 
his full self-possession. This is digressing from my 
subject, but my admiration for him was such, that I 



THE FIRST BATTLE OF BULL RUN. 19 

feel justified in thus alluding to a life that was prac- 
tically lost in the war, though his death did not take 
place until within the past year. 

About one or two hours after the engao-ement 
began, Captain Reynolds, with Lieutenants Tomp- 
kins and Weeden, went off to the right of our posi- 
tion with two guns, which were placed in position 
near the Doogan House, I think, where they went 
earnestly at work. During their absence. Sergeant 
John H. Hammond, of my section, reported to me 
that he was entirely out of ammunition, and as I knew 
that there was no reserve supply for the James gun 
within available distance, I directed him to take his 
piece to the rear, to some safe place and wait for 
orders. I remained with my other piece and the 
pieces of Lieutenant Vaughn. Either before or after 
this, a shot from the enemy struck the axle of one 
of the pieces, which entirely disabled it.* The gun 

* At the conclusion of the reading of this paper, Governor Sprague and 
WUliam A. Sabin, formerly a member of the battery, gave it as their recollec- 
tion that the stock of the gun carriage broke on account of the extreme eleva- 
tion of the gun, and that it was not hit by the enemy's shot; but a letter of 
mine, written after the battle, implies that the gun carriage was struck by a 
shot. 



20 THE KHODE ISLAND ARTILLERY AT 

was dismounted and slung under its limber and 
immediately taken from the field. The mechanical 
maneuvres that the men had been exercised in before 
they left home, for the first time now found oppor- 
tunity for practical application, and the slinging of 
the piece was performed as thoroughly as upon the 
floor of the drill-room. 

Sometime after mid-day Governor Sprague, 
accompanied by Captain Reynolds, rode up to me 
and said, " Monroe, can't you get your guns over on 
the hill there, where those batteries are?" The bat- 
teries referred to were those of Captains Ricketts 
and Grifiin, which were then in position near the 
"Henry" or "Lewis" House. Without any thought, 
except to take the pieces to that position, I ordered 
my remaining piece and one of Lieutenant Vaughn's 
forward, and accompanied by Captain Reynolds pro- 
ceeded across the turnpike and up the road leading 
to the place where the two batteries were in posi- 
tion. The day was a very hot one, and I remember 
that my thirst, at this time, was almost unendurable. 
Crossing the turnpike, I saw a pool of muddy water 
which appeared like the watering places beside our 



THE FIRST BATTLE OF BULL RUN. 21 

New England country roads, where they are crossed 
by rivulets or brooks. Although the water was 
muddy and the dead bodies of a man and a horse 
were lying in it, so great was my thirst, I could not 
resist the inclination to dismount to slake it, aud did 
so. Quickly remounting, I went forward with the 
section through what appeared to be a lane, on a 
side hill, which was completely filled with infantry, 
who had been hotly engaged in the fight since the 
opening of the battle. Just as we diverged to the right 
in order to secure the ground between the two bat- 
teries, a shot came very near to me, aud turning my 
head, I saw Captain Reynolds go off his horse. I 
supposed, of course, that he was hit, and started to 
his assistance, but to my surprise he jumped up 
nimbly and remounted, saying, " That about took my 
breath away." The shot must have passed within a 
few inches of him, and was what afterwards was 
known in soldier's parlance, as " a close call." 

We pushed forward and got the pieces in position 
between Ricketts's and Grifiin's batteries, but before 
a sinirle shot could be fired, the fatal mistake of the 
day occurred, the mistake of supposing a rebel com- 



22 THE RHODE ISLAND ARTILLERY AT 

maiid to be a portion of our own forces. Thick and 
fast their bullets came in upon us, antl they were 
fast approaching in their charge, when Avith almost 
superhuman energy, and with a rapidity that I never 
saw excelled and I think I never saw equaled, our 
cannoneers limbered to the rear and we withdrew 
with a loss in material of only a caisson, the pole of 
which was broken in the endeavor to turn on the 
side hill, and there was no time then to stop for 
repairs. Here private Bubb (Frederick) lost his 
life, and private Vose (Warren L.) was wounded and 
taken prisoner. A bullet went through my cap and 
ploughed a little furrow in my scalp. Jumj)ing 
from my horse to assist Sergeant Wilcox (G. 
Holmes) in limbering his piece, the animal dashed 
oft' frightened by the confusion, and I was obliged to 
ride to the rear on the stock of the g^un carriage. 

Arriving on the northerly side of the turnpike, we 
were joined by Captain Reynolds near the "Doogan" 
House, and shortly after by Lieutenant Weeden. 
Captain Reynolds said that he had just seen Arnold, 
(Captain of the regular artillery) who had lost his 
battery. I hastened Avith the two guns off to the 



THE FIRST BATTLE OF BULL RUN. 23 

left, to the position that we first occupied in the 
morning, and, going into battery, commenced firing. 
The men worked steadier and cooler than they had 
at any time during the da}^ All at once there 
emerged from the timber in our front, a regiment 
or brigade of the enemy, evidently preparing for a 
charge upon us, and simultaneously came an order, 
from Captain Reynolds, I believe, to limber to the 
rear. I could not resist the temptation, in spite of 
the order, to give them one more shot before part- 
ing, and I directed the left piece to be loaded with 
canister. As the piece was fired, the enemy, appar- 
ently, was just ready to move forward on their 
charge. It appeared to me that a gap of full twenty 
feet was made in their line, which completely stag- 
gered them. This, I think, Avas the last shot fired 
on the field that day. The first one was fired by 
Sergeant D wight. 

Leaving the field on foot with this piece, I found 
the remainder of the battery a short distance away 
on the road, moving toward Centreville. Procuring 
a horse from one of the sergeants, I returned to the 
field in search of the horse that 1 had lost, for which 



24 THE RHODE ISLAND ARTILLERY AT 

I had great affection. The scene was one of inde- 
scribable confusion, although there appeared to be 
no friofht or terror in the minds of the men who 
were leaving the field. Officers seemed to have lost 
all identity with their commands, subalterns and 
even colonels moving along in the scattered crowd 
as if their work was over and they were wearily 
seeking the repose of their domiciles. The scene 
was such as to remind one of that which can be seen 
daily in any large manufacturing town or village, 
when the operatives, let loose by the expiration of 
their hours of labor, all set out for their respective 
homes. During working hours the system for work 
is maintained, but upon the ringing of the bell, all 
depart according to their respective bents and wills. 
So upon this field, the general impression seemed to 
be that the day's work was done and that the next 
thing in order was repose. There were a few notable 
exceptions. I remember Avell a large and powerful 
man, a field officer of what I took to be a Maine 
regiment — at any rate he and his men were uniformed 
in gray — using the most strenuous exertions to get 
his men together. He coaxed, threatened and 



THE FIRST BATTLE OF BULL RUN. 25 

applied to them every epithet that he seemed capa- 
ble of, bat all to no purpose. The idea of the men 
seemed to be that their Avork was over for the day, 
and that they Avere going home to rest, not realizing 
apparently, that Avhether on or off duty, they Avere 
subject to the orders that their officers deemed best 
to give. 

The bullets began to Avhistle uncomfortably thick, 
and I gave up the search for my horse, and rejoined 
the battery, theu moving along the road in good 
order, in Avhich condition it continued until the head 
of the column reached the foot of the hill at the 
base of Avhich floAved Avhat is kuoAvn as Cub Run. 
Here, was a bridge rendered impassable by the wrecks 
of several baggage Avagons. In the ford at the left 
was an overturned siege gun, completely blocking 
up that passage, and the right ford was completely 
filled Avith troops and wagons. Of course the lead- 
ing team of the battery had to halt, and it was 
impossible to stop the rear carriages on the steep 
hill, so that the column became only a jumbled heap 
of horses, limbers, caissons and gun carriages. To 
add to the confusion, just at this moment a rebel 



2ti THK KHODK ISLAM) AiniLLKHY AT 

l)attorv in our r(;ai' opened fire, nnd it seemed as if 
cvei'v oiK^ of their shots came down into onr very 
midst. The men innnediately set to work tailing 
the horses from their hai'iicsses, aft(!r doing which 
they mounted upon tluHu in the most lively manner. 
Some horses carricMJ only a single passenger, others 
liad on their hacks doublets and some triplets. Still, 
notwithstanding all this confusion, there did not 
seem to me to he what has been almost universally 
reported, "a jjcrfcct })anic." It appeared to me only 
that confusion which of necessity must arise from 
the sudden breaking up of organization. 

I forded the run on the right hand, or down stream 
side of the bridge, (ioing u}) the hill after crossing, 
1 overtook Captain Reynolds who crossed a little in 
advance of nic, and Just as I rode along side of him, 
a shot from the cn(>my's artillery stiMick the ground 
only a few feet from us. Unsophisticated as 1 was, I 
could not understand why they should continue to 
tire upon us when we were <loing the best that we 
could to let them alone, and 1 said to Captain 
Reynolds, " What do you suppose they are trying to 
doV" His reply was a churacteristic one; "They 



THE FIliST BATTLE OF BULL RUN. 27 

are Irving to kill everv mother's son of us ; that is 
what they are trying to do," the truth of whieh \vas 
very forcibly impressed upon me as shot after shot 
came screeching after us in rapid succession. 

After getting beyond range of their lire, each one 
exerted himself to get togetiier as many members of 
the battery as possible, and upon reaching Centre- 
ville all who liad collected together assembled at 
the house of Mr. Utteback, which we had left in the 
morning. Captain Reynolds and most of the others, 
took up their quarters on the stoop or piazza of the 
house. I Avas suffering severely from a lame leg, 
which had been injured during the action by the 
recoil of a piece, and liaving won the good graces of 
the family during our stay there, I asked for more 
comfortable quarters, and was given a nice bed. 
About two o'clock in the morning, I was awakened 
and informed that orders had been received to leave 
for Washington at once. While I was dressing, one 
of the daughters of Mr. Utteback slipped into the 
room with a flask of Avine which she handed to me 
with the remark, "1 think you ma}' need this before 
3'^ou reach Washington,'' and she added, "Don't, for 



28 THE RHODE ISLAND ARTILLERY AT 

Heiiven's sake, tell anybody of it." The act was an 
extremely kind one, for from the moment of our 
arrival on the farm, every memljer of the family had 
been besieged for liquor of any kind, but they had 
persistently refused to furnish any, declaring that 
they had not a drop in the house. I concealed the 
flask under my vest and found its contents of great 
cheer and comfort during our long night ride. 

Upon going out of the house to resume the march, 
I found, to my surprise, that some time during the 
night, private Scott (Charles V.) had arrived in 
camp with the piece that I had sent ofl* the field 
under Serofcant Hammond for want of ammunition. 
Upon enquiring of Scott for the particulars of his 
becoming possessed of it, he informed me that he 
got strayed from the company, and while picking his 
way through the woods, came upon the piece with 
all or a portion of the horses still hitched to it. 
Calling upon some infantry men near by, who were 
also estray, he mounted one horse himself and 
directed them to mount the other horses, and 
together they took the piece to Centreville. Its 
advent was hailed with special delight by every 



THE FIRST BATTLE OF BULL RUN. 29 

member of the battery. Sergeant Hammond told 
me that he followed his instructions to the letter ; 
that after directing his cannoneers to serve with the 
other pieces, he took the piece well to the rear and 
sought an o))scure, and, as he thought, a secure 
place, and with his drivers remained by it awaiting 
orders. During the afternoon some cavalry appeared 
in their near vicinity, and supposing them to be 
rebel cavalry, they tied, knowing that if they 
attempted to take the piece with them, it would be 
captured and they wcnild certainly be taken with it. 
It is highly prol)able that the cavalry they saw Avere 
a part of our own forces, but such had been the 
rumors and talk of rel)el cavalry, its etHciency and 
the terrible work it was capable of performing, that 
the appearance of even a solitar\- horseman was 
enough to strike terror to the hearts of half a dozen 
ordinary men. Sergeant Hammond and his drivers 
rejoined the company at Centreville, assumed com- 
mand of his piece, and took it to A\'ashington with 
the company.* 

*This account of the saving of the one piece from capture, docs not agree 
with the statement in Stone's " Rhode Island in the Rebellion," 18(H, nor with 
the " Adjutant General's Report, State of Rhode Island, 18C5," which repeat J 



30 THE RHODE ISLAND ARTILLERY AT 

We reached Fort Runyon about six o'clock in the 
morning, but no troops were allowed to cross Long 
Bridire. I remember seeing^ Colonel Burnside about 
daylight that morning, pushing forward all alone, 
considerably in advance of the main column. Occa- 
sionally he would stop and look back as if to assure 
himself that all was right in that direction, as far as 
it could be right ; then he would again push forward. 
About ten o'clock it became plain that he was look- 
ins: out for the welfare of his conmiand both in front 
and rear, for an order was received to allow Colonel 
Burnside's brigade to cross the bridge, the first who 
were allowed the privilege of returning to the camps 

the statement of Blr. Stone. The testimony of Sergeant Hammond is here- 
with subjoined, also that of Captain Charles D. Owen : 

The account given by Colonel Monroe, of the manner in which was saved 
from capture one of the pieces of his section, at the tirst battle of Bull Run, 
of which piece I was sergeant, is substantially correct. 

JOHN H. HAMMOND, 
Formerly Sergeant Battery A, First R. I. L. A., 
Lute Lieutenant U. G., R. I. V. 

To the best of my recollection the account as given by Colonel Monroe is 

correct. 

CHAS. D. OWEN, 

Formerly Sergeant Battery A, R. I. L. A., 

Late Captain Battery G, R. I. L. A. 



THE FIRST BATTLE OF BULL RUN. 31 

thcit they had left and which seemed to them like 
home. Ill passing through the streets of Washing- 
ton to our Camp Clark the sidewalks were lined with 
people, many of Avhom furnished us with refresh- 
ments. 

The act of private Scott was finally rewarded by 
the bestowing upon him a commission as Second 
Lieutenant, in 1864. The piece Avas presented by 
the General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island 
to Governor Sprague, who placed it in trust Avith 
the Providence Marine Corps of Artillery, in Avhose 
armory it is now kept. 

This paper wa.s read before the Rhode Island Soldiers and 
Sailors Historical Society, December first, 1875. 









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